Mondrian and his Studios

A friend asked me to go along to the Tate and view their latest exhibition on the Dutch artist Piet Mondrian. If I'm being honest, I didn't particularly want to go as I'm not a huge fan of his work but I convinced myself that I was being a little narrow minded and couldn't have an informed opinion unless I went to see it in the flesh.

As I walked in, to the left of the exhibition, I was met by a window looking into a life-size reconstruction of Mondrian's Paris studio. This was my favourite part.

Mondrian believed that an artist's studio should be a reflection of his current work which leads the development of contemporary art. He thought that an artist could not develop if their studio was 'a museum of ancient art'. I've got to give it to the man, I respect the dedication he had to his work, allowing his art to seep into every aspect of his life.

One thing I realised as I was wandering through the Tate was that although I may not be a huge fan of his art, it's certainly iconic; one of his pieces only has to appear on the TV or internet for a couple of seconds and it's instantly recognisable. It's unique.

The piece above is called 'Composition with red, yellow and blue.' (Apologies about the blurriness, I moved as I was taking it)

I felt that once I'd seen a few of the paintings in the style of the above, it became very repetitive as they were all so similar.

I'm glad I went to the exhibition and I do have a new found respect for Mondrian and the style he created, however it didn't fascinate me and I wouldn't rush back for another look!

I'd love to hear your thoughts about Mondrian's work.